If Europe wants to be a peacekeeper in the world, it needs an army.

On January 7, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that the European Union (EU) should establish its own army to play a role in peacekeeping and conflict prevention.

Ngoại trưởng Italy: 'Nếu muốn trở thành người giữ hòa bình cho thế giới, châu Âu cần có quân đội'.THE GEORGIAN INSTITUTE OF POLITICS

In a volatile world , EU citizens can only be protected by the EU. (Source: The Georgian Institute of Politics)

Reuters quoted Foreign Minister Tajani as saying in an interview with Italy's La Stampa newspaper that closer defense cooperation with Europe is a top priority for the Forza Italia party he leads.

“If we want to be peacekeepers in the world, we need a European army. And this is a fundamental prerequisite for an effective European foreign policy,” the Italian politician said.

According to the head of Italian diplomacy, in a world with “powerful players like the US, China, India, Russia – with crises from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific – Italian, German, French or Slovenian citizens can only be protected by the EU”.

Besides, Foreign Minister Tajani also said that the EU of 27 countries should adjust its leadership with a single president, instead of the current structure of a president of the European Council and a president of the European Commission.

European countries have placed defense cooperation high on the political agenda since Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine nearly two years ago.

However, efforts are more focused on expanding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), with EU country Finland joining the military alliance in 2023 while Sweden is also close to reaching this "finish line".

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